2015 AUDI Q7 Owner´s Manual

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recommend using only these
tires because they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characteris­
tics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber­
coated fabric in the tire. In gen­
eral, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire
can support. Tire manufactur­
ers also must indicate the ma­
terials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and oth­
ers .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max­
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear , traction and tem­
perature grades ¢
page 297.
Tires and wheels 295
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should ever be put in the tire under normal driving condi­
tions.
A WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatch­
ed tires and/ or wheels or
improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to
loss of control, collision and
serious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
-Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not
•
•
'

296 Tires and wheels
sure of their "previous histo-
and sudden deflation and
ry." Old used tires may have loss of control.
been damaged even though -Temperature grades apply
the damage cannot be seen to tires that are properly in-
that can lead to sudden tire flated and not over or un-
failure and loss of vehicle
derinflated.
control. -For technical reasons it is
-All four wheels must be fit-
not always possible to use
ted with radial tires of the wheels from other vehicles -
same type, size (rolling cir- in some cases not even
cumference) and the same wheels from the same vehi-
tread pattern. Driving with cle model.
different tires reduces vehi- -If you install wheel trim
cle handling and can lead to
discs on the vehicle wheels,
a loss of control. make sure that the air flow
-If the spare tire is not the to the brakes is not blocked.
same as the tires that are Reduced airflow to the
mounted on the vehicle -for
brakes can them to over-
example with winter tires -
heat, increasing stopping
only use the spare tire for a distances and causing a col-
short period of time and lision.
drive with extra care. Refit -Run flat tires may only be
the normal road wheel as used on vehicles that were
soon as safely possible. equipped with them at the
-Never drive faster than the
factory. The vehicle must
maximum speed for which have a chassis designed for
the tires on your vehicle are run flat tires. Incorrect use rated because tires that are of run flat tires can lead to
driven faster than their rat-
vehicle damage or acci-
ed speed can fail suddenly. dents. Check with an au-
-Overloading tires cause heat thorized Audi dealer or tire build-up, sudden tire fail- specialist to see if your vehi-
ure, including a blowout cle can be equipped with
..

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run flat tires. If run flat tires
are u sed , they must be in­
stalled on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not per­
mitted.
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to
use the wheel rims from
other vehicles. This can hold
true for wheels of the same
vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different
from the tires that you have mounted on your vehicle
(for example winter tires or
wide profile tires), then use
the spare tire for a short pe­ riod of time only and drive
with extra care. Replace the
flat t ire with the tire match­
ing the others on your vehi­
cle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the
valve stem cap. The valves
could get damaged .
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord­
ance with the local require­ ments.
Tires and wheels
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature AB C
Quality g rades ca n be foun d where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between t read sho ulder
and maximum section width
c> page 291,
fig. 254 .
For example : Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperat ure A .
All passenge r ca r tir es must con form to Feder ­
a l Safety Requ irements in add ition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear g rade is a c omp arati ve rati ng
based on the wear ra te of the tire when tes te d
u nder con tro lled conditions o n a specifie d
government test course .
F o r ex ample , a tire gr aded 1S 0 wo uld wear
one a nd one h alf ( 11/ 2) times as well on the
governmen t course as a ti re g raded 100 .
T he re lative perfo rman ce of tires depe nds
up on the actu al c ondition s of the ir u se, how ­
ever, and m ay depa rt s ignificantly from t he
no rm due to va ria tions i n driving ha bits, se rv ­
ice p ractices and differences in road character­
istics and cl imate.
Traction
T he trac tio n gr ad es, from hig hest to lowes t,
a re AA, A, Ban d
C. Those g rades represe nt the
ti re 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured u nder cont rolled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of aspha lt
and concrete. A t ire mar ked C may have poor
traction performance
c> ,&. .
Temperature
The temperature gr ades are A (the highest),
B, and C, represent in g the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ab ility to d issi­
pate heat when tested un der controlled condi­
tions on a specif ied indoo r labo rato ry test
whee l.
297
•
•

298 Tires and wheels
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure<=>,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand ­
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplanin g or peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING ,.,.____
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires .
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These t ires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same size and construct ion
type as the other tires on your ve hicle.
Your veh icle is equipped with all -wheel drive,
this will improve traction during w inter driv­
i ng, even with the standard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that you always equip all
four whee ls on your veh icle w ith correctly fit­
ted winter ti res or all-season tires, when win­
ter road conditions are expected. This a lso im- proves the vehicle's
braking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less gr ip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for perm itted
winter tire sizes . Use
only rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0.157 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under winter con ­
ditions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel<=>
page 291 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi­
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured. Please see
<=>page 294,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code (<=>
page 2 76) is
on the side wall of the t ire
c> page 291.
A WARNING ,.___
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the maximum
speed before driv in g off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter tires. This wi ll cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
'----
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle were designed can cause t ire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,

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loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal inj uries. Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immediate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed.
- Never drive faster than the speed for wh ich the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic conditions . Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winte r tires and all-whee l
drive temp t you into taking extra r is k s. Al­
ways remembe r:
- When braking, an a ll-w heel driv e vehicle
hand les in the same way as a front dr ive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
c annot he lp un der blac k ice cond it ions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summe r tires when weathe r cond i­
tions perm it. They are quieter, do not wea r
as quickly and red uce fue l consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted on ly to the rear
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask yo ur
authorized Audi dealer on whic h tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low -profile links
a nd must not be thicker than 0 .S3 inch
(13 .5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel cente r covers and tr im discs
before p utting snow chains on you r vehicle
~ 0 . For safety reasons cover caps must the n
be fitted over the whee l bolts. These are avail­
ab le from authorized Audi dea lers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in-
Tire s an d wheel s 2 99
crease the risk of loss of contro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
structions prov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow cha ins neve r
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
([) Note
-Remove snow c hains be fore driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con ­
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
t he pos itio n of the snow chains afte r
dr iving a few yards and co rrect if neces­
sary. Fo llow the inst ruct io ns from the
s now chain ma nufa ct urer when do ing so.
- If the Adaptive Ai r Suspens io n* s hou ld
ma lfun ction, do not mount o r use snow
c h ains be cause the ve hicl e w il l be ex­
t reme ly low. If you do d rive with snow
chains on while t he ve hicle is at this lev ­
el, the snow chains m ight seve rely dam ­
age the whee lhouse and other parts of
the vehicle.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer ­
tain roads, th is normally a lso applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
T he design of w heel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims a re fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correct ly shaped bolt heads must
be used. Th is ensures that wheels are fitted .,..
•
•

300 Tires and wheels
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
I n certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
¢ page 328.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious personal in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle .
-Always maintain the correct tighten ing
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss.
If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loos en and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving .
If the tightening torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
{[) Note
The specified torq ue for the wheel bolts is
120 ft lb (160 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts
diagonally. After changing a whee l, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi­
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
author ized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped w ith low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
t ions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated
by a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
t iona l tires have a he ight/w idth ratio of 60 or
more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is
particularly sensitive to improper inflation
pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pressure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a
month and always before a long trip
¢ page 282, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated .
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces­
sary .
- Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires .
- After any impact, immed iately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
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authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2 ,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear. Damage is not a l­
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, which could eventu­
ally cause tire failure. If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ire as soon as possible .
- These tires may wear more quick ly than oth­
ers .
- Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other cho ices .
Reduced perform ance in winte r/cold
s eason conditions
All tires are des igned for certai n purposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high pe rformance
tires orig inally installed on your veh icle are in­
tended fo r max imum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling . They are not s uitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under those cond itions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equ ivalent .
Refer to
c> page 298 for more detailed infor­
mat ion regarding winter t ires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
(D General notes
Each t ire, includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
p lacard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
ve hicl e has t ires of a different size than the
si ze ind icated on the vehicle p lacard or tire in­
flation pressure label, yo u should determine
the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires).
Tire s an d wheel s 301
As an added safety featu re, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. According­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi ­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressu re. Driving on a sign ifi cantly un­
der- infla ted ti re causes the tire to overhea t
and can lead to tire fa ilure . Unde r-inflation al­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv ­
er's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to tr igger illuminat ion of the
TPMS low tire pressure tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS malfunction ind icator to ind icate when
the system is not operating properly . The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale . Whe n the sys ­
tem detects a malfunction , the telltale will
flash for approximate ly one m inute and then
rema in continuously illum inated . Thi s se ­
quence will continue upon s ubseque nt vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists.
When the malfunction indicato r is illum inat­
ed, the sys tem may not be ab le to detect or
s ignal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a var iety of rea­
sons, including the insta llation of rep lace­
ment or a lternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after rep lacing one or more tires or
whee ls on your vehicle to ensure that the re ­
placeme nt or alternate ti res and wheels allow
the TPMS to cont inue to funct ion p rope rly . •
•

302 Tire s and whee ls
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
F ig . 255 D isp lay: underinflation warn ing
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d iv idual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru­ ment cluster with a
RE warning symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 255 . The dr iver message in the
d isplay goes out after 5 seconds . The dr iver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! CHECK I button. If only one tire is affect­
ed, the display will indica te its pos ition.
The tire pressure monitoring must be reset via MMI each time the pressures are adjusted (e.
g. when switch ing between partial and full
l oad pressure) or after changing or replac ing a
tire on your vehicle¢
page 303. The TPMS in­
dicator only monitors the tire pressure that
you have previously stored. You can find the
recommended tire pressures for your vehicle
on the label on dr iver's side 8-pillar
¢page 278.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warn ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
l ow,
- the tire has st ructural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, whee ls rotat-
ed o r replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 303,
-the sp are tire* is mounted.
Warn ing symbo ls
RE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢,&..
Check the tire or tires and rep lace or repa ir if
necessary . The
RE indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢ page 14.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
[m'El (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pre ssure: System m alfunction!. If [m'El ap­
pears after switching the ignition on or while
driving and the
RE i ndicator light in the in­
strument cluster bli nks for approx imately one
minute and then stays on, there is a system
malfunction . Attempt to store the correct tire
pressure
¢ page 303. If the indicator light
does not tu rn off or if it t urn s on sho rtly
thereafte r, immediately d rive yo ur vehicle to
an a uthorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized repair
facility to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING ......_
- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your t ires is sign ificant ly under­
inflated . Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or b raking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possib le and
check the tires and their pressu res. In ­
flate the ti re p ressu re to the proper pres ­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure labe l
r=:>page 278. Driving on a
sign ificantly under-inflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to tire
fa ilure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handl ing and stop­
p ing ability .
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regu larly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driv ing style, winter conditions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi­
cator may be delayed .
-Ask you r aut horized Aud i dea ler if run­
flat t ires may be used on you r vehicle.